Commercial | CRAFT CONSTRUCTION - AC HOTEL BY MARRIOTT
actual foundation work could begin at the
end of 2015.
Work on the project continued just a
step behind its approvals. Crews erected
the first three floors of the nine-story
structure while still working under the
foundation permit and before obtaining
the building permit. Meanwhile, Craft
Construction worked with the client and
Marriott designers to finalize the details of
the brand standards ahead of every phase
of construction. It all came together and
the project met its deadline.
The $33 million hotel opened in June
2017 with 233 rooms and a 147-space
parking garage. Amenities included a
full-size pool with bar service, and three
ground floor meeting rooms allowing
business travelers to host large board gatherings or participate in online meetings.
Building the AC Hotel taught Craft Construction how to better manage evolving
brand standards for new hotel concepts.
"It really helped us be prepared for any
of these types of issues on any project,"
understanding of the south
» Craft's
Florida market helped construction
of the AC Hotel go smoothly.
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CONSTRUCTION-TODAY.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
Harden says. "Now our administrative staff
is dialed-in on making sure that information is verified up front."
Local Experts
Construction of the AC Hotel went
smoothly, thanks largely to Craft Construction's understanding of the quirks of
the south Florida market. With more than
20 million square feet of projects delivered between them, few contractors in
the region can match Craft Construction's
local knowledge.
Labor is perhaps the biggest challenge
in south Florida. The high level of building
activity in Miami-Dade County gives an
edge to general contractors who have existing relationships with local subcontractors and are better able to secure laborers.
Further, the nature of the manpower
itself is different from most other markets.
Few laborers are unionized, which has
led to a rise in subcontractors paying
their workers according to how much of
a job they've completed - called piece